What an exciting few weeks ahead of us. The great Gambler and I flew in just before the l’Omarins Queens Plate to be surrounded by blue as opposed to grey back home in the UK. What a pleasure to see the sky again after weeks of low cloud and snow filled skies and what a pleasure to be at Kenilworth for the most stylish of race meetings. It just shows what can be done. I am sure Jonathan Snaith and Mr and Mrs Rupert must have worked tirelessly as events like that do not just happen and hours of work goes into making the day run smoothly. It really was a wonderful day and it looked like everyone got into the swing of it all by dressing up in their blue and white. We had a superb meal in the Peninsula room, all credit to the caterers as it was the best I have had in that room, with great company and thanks to the Masons for organizing it in our absence. It was a very special day and just re-kindled our enthusiasm for racing in South Africa.
It seems like things have not be going so smoothly over here and I have followed a little of events from afar and not being involved I am absolutely in no position to make any sort of decision about what should happen . It does seem to me though that a shake up is needed and maybe its time for a major change. Sometimes it is best to have a good clear out and start again. I think unless members have all the facts and all the information it is impossible for them to make decisions and like the American elections one just ends up voting for the least worst of them all, ( atrocious English I know but you know what I mean).
I don’t know about all the politics of the game so I am keeping quiet about it for now but I do know that I am getting very fed up with correspondents and journalists harking on about racehorse owners being driven by money and that we as owners should be in it for the love of the racehorse and that we don’t care about the horses but use them as playthings and for boosting our ego’s. What absolute rubbish. How many people do we know actually have this attitude. This is a very anti-wealth left wing attitude that fuels jealousy and resentment and is not reality. I admit I don’t love all my horses, I love my family, my dogs
and I have loved some of my horses but I don’t actually know most of my horses as they are cared for by many other people. I do love some of the ones I care for at home but like my fellow humans some are a pain in the neck and I don’t love them at all. It is ludicrous to say we should be in the game for the love of the race horse. Why should we? I care deeply about mine and so do most other owners. We look after them to the best of our ability but they have to earn their keep and race. Most horses would choose to stay out in the herd and graze all day, racing is punishing for them, their reward is to be able to stop and rest. They run through fear, fleeing from a predator, they do not keep running for fun. So we cant be sentimental as we are forcing them to do something they don’t really want to do. They want to win to survive not for the fun of it. Anyone unclear about this should talk to Monty Roberts. I once asked him when I was in Dubai how I could reward my horses for doing well after a race, as I believe horses will work for a reward, and he made me answer my own question by asking me what the horse wants to do most after a race and after thinking about it I realised that the horse just wants to stop running and be given peace and space. What do we do? surround him by patting , applause and encroaching on his space, no reward at all. So lets not kid ourselves that we own horses for the love of the racehorse. Owners own horses for many reasons and surely the number one reason is for fun and happiness. We pay a huge price, financially and emotionally for this fun and we suffer the enormous highs and lows so why should we not have a few moments of glory. Why should we apologise for our moment in the spotlight. Yes our horse has done the hard bit but we have put him there, we have worked hard to earn the money to breed, buy, keep and train him to that moment. There would be no racing if we didn’t have these hard working “money magnets”, (whoever they are?). I have met people from all walks of life, from the incredibly wealthy, to Royalty, to footballers, to syndicates of hairdressers and have never met anyone who races for greed as suggested by other writers. Even the wealthiest Arabs and Rulers take their sport seriously and with a passion. They are knowledgeable and experience the highs and lows just like the rest of us. I can’t remember how much Sheik Mohammed paid for The Green Monkey, around $16m, I think as a yearling and I think it managed a maiden win at Brighton. I am sure someone will correct me but I make my point that it was an enormous amount of money by anyone’s standards and not lost lightly, a definite low for Sheik Mohammed. But oh my God the Industry would be in a serious mess if the oil dollars run as dry as Durban did when the Irish Rugby supporters descended on the city. Nobody should ever be critisised for owning a racehorse, we should not be made to feel guilty for being able to afford to own one. I for one have made life long friends through racing, I have made friends all over the world. I have suffered many defeats and had to take them gracefully. I have had more racing bad days as an owner than good days as by the law of averages and numbers it is inevitable but I still would not spend my children’s inheritance on anything else and will keep at it for it gets in your blood and if we end up sharing a glass of champagne with some good company and in nice surroundings and our horses are all safely back from earning their keep then that is all we can ask for and all we want.
Lets encourage a friend to come to the sales who has never been. Bloodstock South Africa have been very imaginative and taken a huge gamble in staging the Yearling Sale in the high profile heart of the City. It is groundbreaking and we must all be there to support the venture. Every single member of Gold Circle should take a new person racing and every owner a potential new owner to the Sales. The TBA have done a great job marketing the event around the world and I know of a number of big owners in the UK who are planning a first time visit. New blood and new faces are the tonic racing needs over here, who cares why they want to own a racehorse.
One of the reasons I freely admit for owning racehorses is to mix with other like minded passionate people and to have fun in their company. This is where Cape Town excels. Normally we have a packed week of pre-Met entertainment, this year it has run into nearly a fortnight! We have done our bit this year and invited people over to stay for the build up and we will all start with the Fish and Chip supper at Milnerton Church Hall. This event has a place in my heart and sadly this year our friend Brian Sharkey who organised this event is no longer with us and Thursday will be a very poignant occasion. The event has always been wonderfully supported by trainers, jockeys, breeders, owners and members of the Church and much of the proceeds raised goes to the Hope Charity for children. To me this unpretentious event sums up racing. A simple Church Hall, hot, stuffy, noisy filled with people from pensioners to multi-millionaires and nobody who walked in from the street would know who was who but they are all chatting together and giving generously to the Charity.
Friday morning dawns bright and early with a coach trip to Maine Chance, Highlands and Klawervlei studs. Should be fun and guess we will all be looking at the Yearlings they will have on the Sale. I particularly am looking forward to seeing the filly John Koster has picked out to donate at the auction held at the Klawervlei Charity Golf day and dinner. The Great Gambler bought last year’s filly for me and she is due to have her first run on Saturday. Its a great way for first timers to get into owning a horse as one bids for the racing career and all training fees. Our filly is being trained by Vaughan Marshall who in effect has generously donated his fees to the Charity. I believe this years filly is by National Emblem and will be trained by Brett Crawford. The first week finishes for us as guests of Marcus and Ingrid Jooste, John Koster, Grant Knowles and all the wonderful Klawervlei team at their annual luncheon party. This has to be the event of the season. Beautifully staged, wonderful food and wines and incredible Klawervlei hospitality. Not a self promoting event with PR guru’s but wonderful owners and dedicated hard working breeders enjoying their good fortune and being in a position to give a celebratory party to all their friends, supporters and clients and do it because they can! The Klawevlei team work really hard at achieving their success. Like Summerhill they all work as a team and are led by people with vision and knowledge. They have achieved great success in a relatively short period of time due to having experts in their respective fields from Grant Knowles who is wonderful at marketing and hospitality to John Koster who has an encyclopedic knowledge of breeding. Yes the event is lavish, beautifully staged and I have no doubt costs an enormous amount of money but we are there to all share in their passion for racing. Amongst the guests will be jockeys, I met up with the most famous of all, Lester Piggott a few years ago, trainers, celebrities, bloodstock agents from around the world, I sat next yo one of the most well known from the UK, Ted Voight last year, Lords and Ladies and the criticized “money magnets” and yes I hope they are in their finery for don”t most of us, especially ladies, like an excuse to dress up and look good but we are not their to gloat or to “be seen” this is a misnomer, we are there because purely and simple its a great event and great fun!
